Re: Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou- A Retelling of sorts
by Seiichi Yotsuba
Summary: A redo of Arifureta from the moment Hajime falls from the Behemoth trap. Details are in the first chapter
1. An underlining of changes

_I can honestly say that this fic aims to correct _Arifureta_'s weak point- the characters' effect on the storyline. In fact, this fanfic particularly aims to cure Hajime Nagumo (our MC) of his decidedly wimpy nature. Considering that the dickhead had to survive what is described as 'Naraku no Soko', which translates to the Pits of Naraku, and Naraku is what people of the Hindu religion refer to sometimes when they speak of hell, being a wimp is the last thing he would've done once out of the true Labyrinth. Also, I shall be following one of _Void's Record'_s ideas- Having Kaori and Shizuku follow Hajime in, with Shizuku following Kaori. Hajime's fall will also have a bigger impact on the class in general, seeing as the weakest of the lot managed to assist a group of powerful knights in killing a Behemoth. Kouki will feel some of my (unfortunately unpolished) heat, as will a few others._

_I will say, though, that some canon ideas will remain- namely, Shea, Tio, and Yue being very similar to their originals. also, I will not be following the canon writing style, and will be changing the stats system of _Arifureta _quite a bit. Expect a lot of changes._


	2. Chapter 1: The Monsters Awaken

_Starts from when Hajime falls off_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Kaori Shirasaki was slightly in shock. She wondered why as she watched someone she admired fall off the edge into an abyss- probably of death.

As she did so, memories that she had of him started flowing through her mind, as she came to the realization that she had fallen head over heels for the boy- no, man who fell, one Hajime Nagumo. Even restrained by two of her childhood friends, Kouki Amanogawa and Shizuku Yaegashi, she tried to rush over to his side, determined to at least tell him how she felt before they died.

"LET ME GO! NAGUMO-KUN NEEDS MY HELP!"

Kouki and Shizuku weren't having it, though, and Meld Loggins, the Commander of the Order of Knights of the Heiligh Kingdom decided that he would 'help'- in other words, he tried to knock Kaori out with a karate-chop to the back of her neck.

What happened, was that Kaori's newly acknowledged emotions overcame the blow that she took, while also doing something unprecedented. She, a Priestess, somehow managed to shake off her restraints, surprising them. Then, she ran towards the hole in the ground of the 65th floor of the Great Labyrinth of Orcus with a desperate scream of "NAGUMO-KUN!", intent on following Hajime Nagumo. Her speed matched Kouki's own speed, meaning that Shizuku was the only one in the group with any chance of catching up to her. Unfortunately, her strength was nowhere near Kouki's level, and so it was that Shizuku was dragged down the hole with Kaori.

Seeing that, Kouki was shocked and made to follow them, but Meld chopped the back of Kouki's neck with his sheathed sword, having learned from the incident with Kaori. Sighing and mentally apologizing to all three of the fallen, he ordered the rest to retreat, while thinking about the impact of losing two- no, Hajime had proven to Meld that he was one of the strongest in the group, despite being almost completely normal- three warriors to the Labyrinth.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the pits

Hajime Nagumo, Synergist, and overall hobbyist, had been struck unconscious by the fall that he had taken. When he regained consciousness and was able to process the scene in front of him, though, he realized a very important anomaly in his memories- Kaori Shirasaki and Shizuku Yaegashi had somehow decided to follow him.

It seemed as though Kaori was the only one who wanted to follow him though, as the argument that they were having proved beyond reproach, even with the only lines he heard.

"Shizuku-chan, why did you try to stop me!? You know full well that I hate breaking my promises!"

"Why else if not because you were too reckless? No one is insane enough to risk their life for other people, you-"

Hajime wasn't about to let that slide that easily.

"Maybe if a certain someone stopped Hiyama-kun from touching that jewel, I wouldn't have had to risk myself for the class, Yaegashi-san. Although, in this particular case, I did act a little insanely."

That stunned both girls in the middle of their argument- Anyone, when unconscious, possessed the same amount of presence as a certain Kousuke Endou normally did, and as neither had realized that he was there, his presence was not as easily detected when he became lucid.

"Nagumo-kun, are you okay, do you need any hea- Mmpf!?"

Kaori, in her distress, forgot about caution being a priority in unknown lands. Hajime, having realized that fact, immediately sealed her mouth. However, the position they ended up in was… just a little compromising.

While Kaori would've normally been happy in this situation, seeing as she was pushed down by her crush, in this situation, she realized that she was being noisy and clapped her hands together in apology, earning a glare from Shizuku, who also became cognizant of that fact.

Slowly, they calmed down, and Hajime got a healing spell done on him by Kaori. They then decided to start scouting the area after securing water from near their current position, near a waterfall and river. Soon, they realize that this floor was nothing like the previous floors, as they encountered a rabbit monster killing a two-tailed wolf monster in a rocky area, only to be killed by a giant bear monster.

As they watched from behind a boulder, and slowly made their escape, Kaori somehow accidentally kicked a rock. The bear monster heard the sound and turned to them. As both Hajime and Shizuku made to hide again, Kaori froze in fear. The Bear had finished eating the rabbit monster by then, and made to kill Kaori as well. Only Hajime's actions saved Kaori, using his right arm to pull her in as he put himself in the way.

Luckily, he didn't die. He did, however, lose his left arm from the elbow down. Acting on instinct, he transmuted a path from their position to an air-filled cavity in the ground. As the girls followed him in, they noticed the lack of a left arm on him and realized what he had given up. Hajime, however, focused only on moving ahead, while closing the path behind them to prevent pursuit.

When they reached the cavity, which was as large as a small cave and was large enough to give all three of them space to move, Kaori used her healing magic to stabilize Hajime's stump. Having no blood replenishing potions, however, she was forced to feed him some of the glowing water on the floor.

Hajime was almost out of energy, and so were the other two, so while he fell unconscious, the other two finally released their emotions and cried, Shizuku in relief that they were alive and as well as can be and Kaori in grief that she had caused Hajime to lose his arm. They resolved to be Hajime's allies, even against the world, so that he never had to suffer anymore.

In that moment, Shizuku wondered why she was more concerned about him than Kaori, and also started replaying all the memories she had with him. Having realized that she was also in love with Hajime, she resolved to talk to Kaori as soon as possible about their feelings and what they should do about it.

Days passed. Hajime flitted in and out of consciousness so many times. Kaori and Shizuku decided to sleep to conserve any mana that they could, and to stave off the pangs of hunger and thirst and Hajime started thinking about how he came to be in this situation.

'What did I do to Hiyama and the others?'

'Why was I the only one to receive the worst status'

'Why was it that I was hit by a stray-wait, that Fireball was aimed at me. Who would want me dead?'

At that time, sensing something dark, Kaori woke up and woke Shizuku up as well. Finding the source of bloodlust, they stared at Hajime, who was awake and in deep and dark thoughts.

'Maybe I should just- NO! I can't! Now I have Shirasaki and Yaegashi as well to think of. If I die, there would've been no point to their being here!'

'So what do I want? I want to live. Who gets in someone's way? An enemy. So what should I do? KILL! Anyone who gets in my way, except for Shirasaki and Yaegashi- no, Kaori and Shizuku, my only allies now- are my enemies! I WILL get out of this abyss, and I WILL find a way back home. The god who kidnapped us here- Ehit or whatever- is not someone to care for. Ignore him. And that monster that took my arm off? With no food, we have no choice but to kill and devour it!'

It was then, that the kind and weak, yet strong-willed Hajime Nagumo, who the girls fell for, was almost completely wiped away. The thought of Kaori and Shizuku with him kept him from turning into a completely uncaring monster, even if he turned into the Monster of the Pits.

As Kaori and Shizuku watched Hajime changing, they also realized that they had to be as willing to survive as he was and their thoughts also began going dark, realizing that the stray Fireball was on purpose, and wondering who fired it. They were so disgusted that one their classmates would do something as despicable as trying to kill a comrade, that they decided to cut all connections with their classmates and abandon the world, instead deciding to find a way home.

When Hajime began lapping the glowing water like a dog, the girls helped him do so, Shizuku helping him up to sit, while Kaori used one of her empty potion vials to feed him the liquid. Once he was conscious enough to talk normally, he discussed their next actions.

"Thanks. Now, I need to tell you two something. Even if we get out of this pit of hell, I will not rejoin the Hero's Party. If either of you wish to do so, then there is no problem with it. Are we clear?"

"Listen well, Hajime-kun. I will not return to a group of people who tried killing their comrade. I'm sticking with you, even if you don't want me to!"

"I agree with Kaori. I don't know how bad it was before the shot, but it definitely was bad enough to see that I couldn't even trust Kouki to do the right thing. No, Hajime, you'll have two very loyal allies in us for as long as we live."

"You two… thanks. Now, Kaori, do you have any aversion to eating monster meat? Shizuku, you too." Asked Hajime, moved to tears by their declaration of resolve and happy to have reliable allies at l(e)ast.{1}

Both of them replied in the negative, knowing that they had no choice.

A sudden thought struck Hajime and he transmuted the rock above the puddle of glowing water, revealing a glowing stone about 50cm in diameter. On seeing it, he gasped, recognizing it.

"A Divinity Stone! So that's why the water is revitalizing! It's Ambrosia!"

"What's a Divinity Stone, Hajime-kun?" asked Kaori, confused.

"It's a stone formed from mana condensing in one spot for centuries, which is so saturated with the stuff that it is leaked out as a liquid, which is called Ambrosia! Legend states that the rotten god, Ehit, used it to heal his followers. We really struck gold here, girls!" he explained excitedly.

"You say that, but is it that good? I can't- wait! My mana recovered after I drank it! Does it also have mana regenerative properties!?"

"Probably. Anyway, let's go hunt some food!"

""Yeah!""

* * *

_1- At last, Hajime has found true friends, and at least he found them in the hell known as true labyrinth before he completely lost his humanity. In canon, Yue had somehow miraculously restored his humanity, but really, you need to have some humanity remaining to have someone restore it. That somehow struck me as odd, as no one had shown a sense of solidarity with him, so who would've helped him retain it? Kaori and Shizuku- read canon to find how I assert this fact._

_This has been updated to correct some errors and explain this fact._

_Well, that's the first chapter. Hope I did the premise justice. PLEASE REVIEW!_


	3. Chapter 2: Eating, and Confessions

**Chapter 2**

Hajime had said that, but he knew that he needed to increase his combat prowess.

Therefore, he told the girls to hunt one wolf each while he hunted one separately. Any protests Kaori may have had before the fall died out in the face of the need to survive. Shizuku thought the same, but wondered how they were going to hunt two wolves, especially with Kaori only being proficient in defence and support.

Hajime was worse off, as a Synergist, but he disregarded that in light of his plan- as an otaku, he would know how to apply any plan effectively, and know how to analyze any attack he might receive before it hit him, it was in his nature to analyze everything that was given to know of it, especially to predict the plot of an anime, manga, novel or game.

They separated, with Kaori being told to collaborate with Shizuku for now. Hajime's plan was simple- use himself as bait to lead the wolf into a pitfall trap, then either suffocate it, or stab it with a drill-like spear. The plan worked flawlessly, and Hajime had a wolf to eat. He dragged it out, and started rendering it in their hideout. When he was finished, Kaori and Shizuku had come in with two wolves.

Kaori had created two powerful barriers to separate the wolves and defeated one with a spell she had wanted to try for a long time- Binding Chains- by strangulation. Shizuku had defeated the other with her sword, that was infused with mana to sharpen its edge, with a slice to the neck, beheading it.

Hajime got to work, rendering the two wolves in less time than before, due to experience. After that was done, he had Shizuku slice the wolf's meat into easy-to-eat strips, and Kaori was to cook the meat with Fireball. Then, they took the meat that they had cooked, and started devouring it. None of them had realized just how starved they had been, so they were happy to even eat the meat, even though it tasted metallic and gross.

Once they were finished eating, all three of them had one vial's worth of Ambrosia each, as a countermeasure to any effects that eating monster meat may have on them- Hajime had remembered that monster meat had adverse effects when eaten by humans.

Unfortunately, his memory had been hazy, and he was unable to recall that it actually was deadly to humans. As a result, pain assaulted all three of them, and was continuous in nature, but their wills, forged out of agony, despair, hatred and desire, allowed them to hold on.

The special magic in a monster normally would've killed a human, due to incompatibility that led to corrosion of the body. However, the Ambrosia managed to stave off and recover any and all of the damage that they received, leading to a phenomenon called overcompensating, which made the bodies of all three adapt to monster meat.

In doing so, the mana they possessed changed, allowing them to do something that normal humans would never be capable of- they gained one, or in Hajime's case, two, new jobs each. Physically, they lost their black or brown hair, which changed to a snow-white color, while their eyes changed color to a deep crimson, and their muscles and bones matured and improved, giving the girls a toned body, while Hajime gained a ripped body, which remained lean, as his old body was. Their bodies now screamed power.

When they finished changing, the first thing they did was to check their status plates.

On seeing it their expressions matched, each of them were wide-eyed, with jaws open and shaking hands. When they regained their speech, Hajime proceeded to shout "WHAT IN TARNATION!?", slipping into the Kansai dialect in his shock. The girls were no better in silence, having seen the changes:-

Hajime Nagumo

Job: Synergist, Magic Combatant, Gunner

Skills: Direct Mana Manipulation- All Element Affinity- Lightning Field- Lightning Bolt- High-Speed Mana recovery- Iron Stomach- Firearm Understanding- Swordsmanship

Kaori Shirasaki

Job: Priestess, Heavy Knight

Skills: Close-Quarters Combat Proficiency- Direct Mana Manipulation- Physical Resistance- Iron Stomach- Lightning Field- Lightning Bolt

Shizuku Yaegashi

Job: Swordswoman, Assassin

Skills: Direct Mana Maipulation- Assassination Techniques- Presence Manipulation- Shadow Dance

Shizuku couldn't begin to comprehend how she got the Assassin job, and Kaori understood that the Heavy Knight job allowed her to increase her strength, but Hajime's two new jobs would've bewildered the inhabitants of Tortus. His jobs were never heard of before in the entire world.

Of course, when he calmed down, he realized that both jobs are just as powerful, if not more than Kouki's Hero job, for the simple reason that Firearm Understanding, when in conjunction with Transmute allowed him to create modern-day guns from Earth. Also, his jobs allowed him to master weapons in addition to magic affinity.

Of course, all this was possible because of his determination and the girls' devotion to him- even when newly realized, the girls' feelings were powerful, and bolstered by their determination to follow and help Hajime in the Pits of Hell.

Following that was a scene which would forever remain in Hajime's memories, for the absurdity of the situation was such that it was unforgettable.

The girls, having looked at each other and nodded, jumped on Hajime, with Shizuku nestling her face on his chest and Kaori kissing him. The action was unexpected, especially when you consider that both Kaori and Shizuku were popular enough to get with anyone, even Kouki, who was just unusually handsome, and was prepared to fight for the majority even against the (g)odds {1}.

When Kaori separated her lips from Hajime's own, she was bashful and unusually happy, even by her standards. This was baffling to Hajime, as even with her interest in him, she was being too close.

"Hajime-kun, I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise, but there are some things I want to tell you. I couldn't believe it at first myself, but it is true regardless of whether you choose to believe me or not. I love you, Hajime-kun, and probably will only love you for as long as I live. You stole my heart when I first saw you, and you remember well enough what I mean.

"Even then, I thought of you as strong, but now, I think that you are even stronger, despite how badly the class betrayed you. Such people can just rot in hell for all I care. You. That's why I jumped in. To be by your side, and to keep my word. I'll say it again- I love you, and I will do everything in my power to make you ours."

Hajime was dumbfounded, but for the simple reason that she had confessed to him, of all people. He had thought that she might've been Kouki's girlfriend in secret. His jealousy was quite easily seen, as it was. But here was concrete proof that she was NOT interested in Kouki at all. Still, the unexpected question he had was-

" 'Ours'? "

It was here that Shizuku spoke up, her face red from embarrassment, but with resolve in her voice.

"She meant me, Hajime. I can't believe it, but I would seem that I fell for you as well. This was from constant interaction with you and seeing you as you were. I knew that you had incredible strength of heart, but never in my life thought that you would be someone I could imagine spending my life with.

"Of course, I feel horrible that I'm in love with the same person as my best friend, but we talked it over and decided that we both wanted to be yours and yours alone. We'll be happy to receive an answer later, but that doesn't mean that we could hold our own feelings in. Just know that it's you for us."

This just shocked Hajime even further, because he hadn't expected many people to fall for little Hajime Nagumo, paragon of the ostracized. Nevertheless, he knew what he had to say here.

"Thanks for telling me that I could give my answer later. I never expected anyone to fall in love with me, let alone either of you, so I just threw the concept out of my head. Honestly, I'll need time to consider my own feelings, but I will give both of you an answer. This I promise. Does this mean that if I reject you, you will leave my side as allies, though?"

""NO! NEVER!" They shouted in unison while glowering at him.

And so the Monsters of the Abyss became a pseudo-threesome. Hajime wondered about the feelings welling up inside him when the question he had just asked came up in his mind. And about the relief he felt at their vehement rejection of the possibility

Shaking his head, he thought of testing their strength. They decided to move on to fight the wolves again, to do so.

The result: Hajime was now a terrifying monster, with the other two coming close in relative strength.

Hajime's Magic Combatant job allowed him to punch wolves while casting long-distance magic spells at the same time, while also allowing him to enhance his attacks with magic, especially because he manipulated mana directly, and because of his newly gained affinity, he didn't even need to chant anything, just use the spell with an image in mind. He managed to get 12 wolves in the time it took Shizuku to get 3 wolves as a result.

Shizuku manipulated her presence to kill 6 wolves without breaking a sweat and letting them know about her.

Kaori…. truly became a terrifying opponent with her new physical abilities-she strangled a wolf, then kicked 5 wolves in succession to complete her assignment- kill 6 wolves

And then, it was decided that Hajime had reliable allies. Hajime felt his determination strengthen as he saw the girls hunt with determined expressions. And swore to protect the two of them for as long as he could.

* * *

_1 – A reference to a Chinese xuanhuan called Against the Gods, and a dig at Amanogawa, who fought for the majority, not even knowing that the majority were led around the (k)nose by the God he revered._

_About the Statuses- Simply put, I felt the need to change things about it. For the original stats, either read the ln or go to the Arifureta fandom website (arifureta. fandom. com) and check out the characters. I will list the changes here. For Kaori and Shizuku, just raise the numbers a bit (around 150 points per stat) and add the new job and skills. For Hajime, add 50 points to his stats and add the skills that aren't already there._

_Next chapter will feature nothing more than the Heroes and their conflicts._

_Ciao!_


	4. Chapter 3: The Conflicts and Resolutions

**Chapter 3**

While our three friends suffered, anguished and despaired, the Hero's (lol) party was less happy with the occurring events- losing their Healer and second best warrior would be a problem for anyone. When they find that they have deserted the party out of disgust, the depression would be one for the ages- even though they were sad, they were cursing the cause of the loss of Kaori and Shizuku- one Hajime Nagumo.

Kouki, in particular, was convinced that Hajime had somehow deceived the two of them (the girls felt a shiver down their backs in their sleep), and decided that he would dive back in when he got stronger- courtesy the training from Ehit's Apostle, Noint. Kouki was joined in his training by the rest of the current top 5- Ryuutarou Sakagami [Monk], Suzu Taniguchi [Barrier Mistress], Eri Nakamura [Necromancer],and Daisuke Hiyama [Light Warrior]. Of them, Hiyama was the most distrusted of the lot.

Most of the class wanted Kousuke Endou [Assassin] to join them, but the person himself refused for some reason. He also decided to train directly under Commander Meld. He didn't tell anyone about it, but he had grown distrustful of the God Ehit even before the three "Fallen", as they were called, fell. However, he was convinced that Hajime had the right of it when he focused on survival over power.

Commander Meld was in awe of Hajime, a [Synergist] who could do what the others couldn't- stay calm in the face of death. His awe was furthered when he saw Kaori break out of her friends' restrain efforts and jumped in, taking their second best with her. He knew that it was normally impossible for the three of them to survive, but his own instincts told him that Hajime was the true hero of the lot that were summoned, and would thus survive and come back.

Princess Lillianna. B. Heiligh was shocked to hear that Hajime had fallen due to a misfired spell, and was presumed KIA. Her shock was heightened with the news that Kaori and Shizuku, who had grown dear to her, went in as well, especially to hear that Kaori had dragged Shizuku down in her pursuit of Hajime. She prayed for all three of them, hoping for their safe return.

With the exceptions of Daisuke and Kouki, the Top 5 were starting to realize that they needed to survive to return home to Japan. That was why they were happy to receive training from Noint. However, they decided that the first time they found a way home, they would abandon Tortus and return.

Kouki decided that he wasn't returning home, not until Kaori and Shizuku were with him as well. At the same time, Daisuke was not even considering a return home. He was able to hide the fact that he had fired the shot to kill Hajime. He wasn't going to relax until he had Kaori for himself. And Hajime was in the way. He never expected Kaori to join him.

Kaori was not very happy- she should've noticed the bullying that Hajime had suffered, all because she had decided to try to get close to him. She resolved herself, not to rejoin the Hero's Party, but to stick with Hajime. Her feelings were just one of the many reasons she made her mind up. Her own time in the Pits of Hell had allowed her to retrospect on the shot that hit him, and knew who had fired it… Daisuke Hiyama was not going to be a happy person and his own fate was sealed. He just didn't know it yet.

Shizuku was wondering what Kouki did to help Hajime when he was bullied. He had told her that the party of scum (as she called Hiyama's group) had a great practice target, but now that she replayed Hajime's fall, she also came to the same conclusion- Daisuke Hiyama was dead. Her conflict arose from Kouki's own actions- he never condoned anything cruel, yet he had alluded to a human being used for target practice and was happy for them. She decided that the class was rotten, apart from Ryuutaro, Kousuke and Suzu. The rest needed to explain themselves, and Daisuke was dead regardless. And once she returned home, she decided to demote Kouki from disciple to student of Yaegashi Dojo, for dishonorable conduct.

When Aiko Hatayama, the teacher with the group heard the news, she pressured the Church into allowing those who didn't want to fight to remain out of combat- after she regained consciousness, that is. She also mourned the three of them and was hoping that she would meet them again. Her thoughts were only to keep her students safe, so she had to submit herself to the now-despicable church, just to do what she wanted.

The one with the most conflict was Hajime himself, surprisingly. He was fairly certain that doing a dogeza[1] in public was a matter of humiliation, and yet that action resulted in his gaining the admiration and love of not one, but two beautiful ladies. He wasn't sure that he was even seeing reality, which was not good in the Pits of Hell, but he knew what reality was, so he resolved to analyze his own and their reactions to some flirting whenever he could do so.

And so, the newly crowned Monster of the Abyss started to realize his own feelings while keeping them six feet under for now.

The others mentioned either enjoyed the hospitality of the Royal Family of Heiligh, or joined Aiko in her quest- mostly to protect her from seduction by the Templar Knights, who were suspiciously handsome- clearly meant to seduce her into giving her loyalty to the Church, but they needn't have worried- They fell for her instead, while begging the question of the Church's motives from those who had an ounce of logic in their heads. This would eventually turn in Hajime's favour, but that will come later.

* * *

_1- I'm pretty sure that if you don't know what a dogeza is, you are not suited for comedy, at least anime-centric comedy._

_In other business, I will post a chapter at least once a month, if not more. Any problems with the story so far?_

_Like I said in Chapter 1, Please Review!_

_Hajime in this fanfic won't be as big a prick as he is perceived in canon. He will retain his core kindness, and none of that tsundere BS._


	5. Chapter 4: Explorations of the Labyrinth

**Chapter 4**

It's been two weeks since the transformation of our three friends, and they've managed to improve. After the wolves, they hunted the newly named Jackrabbits, and gained the Aerodynamics skill. And when they were hunted to extinction, they were attacked near the river by a strange fish monster- which gave them the ability to breathe underwater and swim.

Since it looked like a catfish and was very fierce in its attacks, they named it the Fierce Catfish[1]. Since then, they also included seafood in their diet, as the Catfish was the tastiest monster they ate so far. Then, once while the girls were asleep, Hajime sneaked out and defeated the Trio-named[2] Claw Bear, on his own. The girls woke up to see Hajime enjoying some meat while next to a dead Claw Bear. Needless to say, all three of them finished the Bear off, and gained the Gale Claw skill.

Also needless to say, Hajime's eardrums were close to rupturing at that time- not just from the shriek that they released, but from the verbal onslaught that one Kaori Shirasaki subsequently delivered at point-blank range while he was held at sword point by one Shizuku Yaegashi. It covered his recklessness in hunting it alone, and his sheer idiocy in eating the meat before informing them of it. That last part was mostly because Kaori had taken to eating anything that they hunted first, to check that it wouldn't hurt Hajime- not that she needed to, as we know from an alternate timeline, Hajime could've gone this alone without problem till the last boss, even without the additional job changes.[2]

Talking of changes, Kaori had become overprotective and a bit erotically inclined towards Hajime. She had also learnt ruthlessness at the hands of the Labyrinth, which leads to the loss of her kind personality. She hasn't completely lost it though, as she is willing to consider the possibility of sparing their classmates for the act of bullying her beloved, even without the specifics that Hajime had refused to mention at the time.

Shizuku had changed as well, losing her naivete in the Labyrinth (she wasn't that naïve to begin with), and her feelings for Hajime also forced some changes in her- one of which being that she had started acting a little spoiled when safe (relatively speaking) and her protectiveness towards Hajime, while not as disturbing as Kaori, was as overbearing as her best friend's attempts.

Hajime, of course, had the biggest changes- he was as ruthless- if not more than- Kaori, and was now as skilled as Shizuku with a sword. His skills extended to unarmed combat as well, out of necessity.

Weapons were a problem for both Kaori and Hajime. Neither had good weapons for close range combat. Hajime thus Transmuted a shield for her, with the property to change shape into a halberd and a shotgun (Safety's sake) and named it Speerundschild, which Kaori subsequequently nicknamed Schild-chan.

For Shizuku, though it was unnecessary, he created a katana with the capability to shoot lightning and change into a silenced pistol (again, Safety's sake), and named it Valkyrie, but Shizuku refuted the name and called it Raikiri. "Whatever floats your boat" was Hajime's answer.

Hajime was easily the most versatile of the trio, so he made two pistols which had railgun-acceleration using Lightning Field, and could change into a sword, due to a blade extension. He called these guns Blitzschneidendekugel, although he wanted to name it Donner.[3]

He even made bullets for it from Taur Stone, with Blastrock for gunpowder. Blitzschneidendekugel (Hajime called it Blitz for short) is also capable of acting as a magic focus in any form. This made him scary as hell.

Due to this, the trio had no problem in clearing the floor of monsters. They even found a set of stairs leading to the next floor. After hesitating for an amount of time, clearing the floor while at it, they descended.

Unlike most staircases in the Labyrinth, this one had no Glowstone to light the way. It was dark enough that they couldn't see their hand in front of them, forcing them to walk shoulder to shoulder

At the bottom of the staircase, they advanced cautiously, since the darkness extended to the floor, but at a certain point, Hajime had stopped without a sound. This caused the girls to bump into him and chaos ensued.

"What the- Shizuku, get off!"

"Once you let go of my breast, maybe!"

"Then… Who's touching my dick!?"

"Fuhehehe… Little Hajime is not so little!"

"Is that so, Kaori? Lemme cop a feel"

"I've let it go, so don't do that, Shizuku! And Kaori, stop doing that, I don't need one right now!"

"Maybe later then?"

"JUST LET GO!"[4]

Of course, after that, Hajime decided to be risky and use his Glowstone. Of course, he also fashioned a container for the Divine stone and it's Ambrosia and brought it with him, safe in a large rucksack that was made from the Claw Bear. He also made clothes for the three of them from the Wolves and Jackrabbits.

Now, since they could see, they decided to be careful, fearful of the monsters. Shizuku noticed a lizard on the rock in front of them, and killed it using Presence Manipulation to hide herself. They ate that monster and gained the Petrification Resistance, Night vision, Sense Presence and Petrifying Gaze skills. The Trio named it as the Gorgon Lizard. Shizuku lost her Sign Perception skill in the process, but Sense Presence was an upgrade to it, as she quickly discovered.

In the middle of all this, Hajime had started to fall in love with the girls. And he was desperate to keep the status quo till they reached a safe point outside the Pits.

Thanks to the Gorgon Lizard, the second floor, as they recognized it, was easy to conquer.

They did have to be close together though, which caused Hajime to cover his manliness, lest the two of them ravage him.

* * *

_[1]- Here, I'm referencing a web novel that I read called 'Living in this world with Cut&Paste. It's a relaxing slice-of-life type which really satirizes the entire idea of OP greatness in a subtle way, at least that's how I see it._

_[2]- Narrator Fourth Wall Break FTW, I'm chronicling this fanfic as if Hajime and the others have given me interviews and thus the comments from me._

_[3]- I quite understand that Hajime used German as a language of choice but Donner, in French, means to give, which really goes against his new philosophy, as he won't give anyone anything without reason or recompense._

_[4]- I'll thank Void's Record not to go after me as I stole his scene (many of them, in fact) in the making of this fic. Pls don't wreck me._


	6. Chapter 5: A Chance Meeting- Part 1

_Pre Chappie note- I noticed that some of you had concerns about the weapons being able to change form, even though canon stated that Hajime couldn't do so until he met Oscar. Those who voiced said concern should note that Void's Record, who inspired this particular piece of debauchery, also made this error. My answer to it, though, actually not so surprising. Hajime is an otaku. Otaku one thing apart from anime, manga, games and light novels- tokusatsu. Those who don't know about tokusatsu would do well to remember Power Rangers and their weapons. I remember Dino Charge had a sword combine with the morpher to form a 'cannon'. If you aren't convinced, go watch Kamen Rider Wizard to get my drift. Replace laser blasts with bullets though. That's for the Blitzes. Imagine something something similar for the other weapons_

* * *

Chapter 5

Since then, the trio have increased their abilities, deepened their relationship and become a force to be reckoned with.

The Skills they have gained from monsters since the 'Fall' are as follows:-

Mana Manipulation; Iron Stomach; Lightning Field+ Lightning Shot; Underwater Breathing; Air Dance+ Aerodynamic+ Lightspeed Step+ Steel Legs+ Sword Hand; Gale Claw; Night Vision; Farsight; Sense Presence; Detect Magic; Hide Presence; Poison Resistance; Paralysis Resistance; Petrification Resistance; Language Comprehension; Curse+ Petrifying Gaze+ Poison Fog+ Paralyzing Powder; Compound Magic.

In addition, they trained to hell with all their abilities and their jobs while in combat, which resulted in all three of them being comparable to missile heads, if they were in Japan. In Tortus, they were undeniably strong, even more so than the Hero already. Most of their stats were above 4000 at this point, with Hajime's and Shizuku's agility, Kaori's Magic and Magic Defense going beyond 5000

Also, they discovered that eating a monster that was stronger than them would give a sharp increase in abilities, while eating monsters that they've already eaten or that are weaker than them would be a more plateaued increase, but a nonetheless equally disgusting taste in the mouth.

The 37th floor from the 'Fall' was the exception to disgusting food. That floor was a forest with centipede-like insects that were larger than any train on Earth. Shizuku went berserk then, and Hajime managed to see a six-armed three-headed demon Stand[1] behind her. The carnage left in her wake reduced her to a catatonic state, which was only broken by the fruit thrown by the Treant-like monsters on the same floor. The hunting frenzy was replicated on the Trio, since that fruit was too delicious for them in their state. Those centipedes had made it their worst floor though.

Now, at 50 floors deep, they knew that they had to clear the Pits of Hell, or the True Labyrinth, as they had come to call it (Hajime had said it was too deep to have been anywhere near the top floor of the labyrinth above). They had cleared most of it, but had come across a curious gate. It was relatively new, and was flanked on either side by the statue of a cyclops.

The three had been otaku for far too long to just think it was the way to the exit- no, the ominous presence from the door was enough to dispel that notion. Still , they were curious, so they broke the cyclops guardians down, extracted the core and used them as keys to unlock the door. Of course, they avoided as much battle as possible by not springing the trap.

The Trio took their usual stance- Hajime in the centre and leading, Kaori taking the beta position on his immediate right flank and Shizuku taking his left flank. They were shocked to find a cube floating on one of its edges. Within the cube's visible face was the head and naked torso of a young-as-13-looking blonde girl. The cube's edges were ornate, as was the side facing them.

Curious, they approached, though Kaori felt her initial dread increase. The girl opened her eyes and looked around. When her eyes caught them, a hoarse, yet beautiful voice called out to them.

"Who… are… you?"

"""Sorry, we interrupted your training!""" The Trio weren't interested in her, as she was obviously a danger sealed here.

"Wait, please listen to me!" On hearing their immediate refusal to talk to her and preparations to leave, she panicked and pleaded.

"Yanno, I think any person put in an elaborate as fuck seal down here is a danger to public safety. Maybe someone else will help you without a reason, not-" Hajime had said, but was interrupted.

"I'm not a danger, not to anyone. I was betrayed!"

That put paid to any other thoughts in their heads- the action they would never consider doing to each other. Betrayal was one of the top reasons they would even consider anything others asked of them.

"Betrayed? What do you mean betrayed?"

Hajime acted as spokesperson, as they unconsciously had accepted him as leader of the Trio. It would be the beginning of something greater than they thought though. It was the start of the legend of the Demon King of Tortus, and his Ducal Right Hand Man, the only one not present here. This meeting just augmented that destiny and the Trio here were the beginning of that something.

* * *

_And there you have it- a very good cliffhanger to end the chapter on. PLEASE REVIEW!_

_[1]- A JOJO REFERENCE, for those who are new to anime, is one of the most common references you would find being learnt by any experienced weeb who has or hasn't watched/read a curious series called JoJo's Bizarre Adventures. I haven't watched or read it, but I hear it's amazing. My first reference was actually from Naruto- the Shinobi run._

_Anyhoo, I got places to be and exams to write, so expect no chapters next week. I AM a college student, after all._


	7. Chapter 6: A Chance Meeting- Part 2

**Chapter 6**

Blondie POV:

I am Aleytia, the fallen Queen of Vampires. I am one of the atavists, the ones who inherit from the first people of the planet.

My country was prosperous, and we were dragged into war so as to protect our own. I was queen, yet my shining place was on the battlefield. I was accepted as a benevolent queen, yet many lusted for my power.

The worst was my uncle, who was verily accustomed to leading the economic side of administration. Having trusted him since birth, even more so than my parents, who I sensed didn't hold much affection as parents, his betrayal was a shock to me.

One day, when I returned from a battle, my retainers, who were not too loyal to me, told me that I had nothing to do till the next day. Thinking to meet my uncle, as a niece, I headed there, all the while worrying about the rebellion that said uncle was planning. One second I was wondering if abdicating in his favour was the best action, having learnt to manage a country since childhood, and the next second I was hit on the head, the last thing I remember being the words, "I'm sorry, Aleytia" being uttered by my uncle's voice.

And then started my personal hell.

My power is unusual, even for atavists. I possess a skill called Automatic Regeneration, which will return me to my best state, even from a state of lost limbs. Thus, Death is not an option, for as long as even the smallest bit of me remains and has mana infused within it. Knowing that, and my magical prowess, Uncle sealed me in an unknown place, such that I survive, but am rendered immobile except for my head.

In this place, he sealed me, and made it so that I can't even use magic. So I am regenerated, rendered emaciated and regenerated again. Even my magical reserves start screaming at times, and my best state is unknown as of now.

I slowly lost track of time, and now sleep for most of my time.

Until now, that is.

I felt light hit my eyelids for the first time in who knows how long, and opened them slowly to ascertain the source of the light. All to see three people in front of me. Two women, beautiful in their own right, were flanking a man, who seemed to be handsome in a non-standard way. All three of them were white-haired, crimson-eyed and had a combat-ready stance.

Hesitant, as they should be, they approached. I decide to call out to them.

"Who… are… you?" My voice is ruined a bit, nothing water can't fix. I hope they answer.

"""Sorry, we interrupted your training!""" Training? Why would I train here? I need their help. I must break free.

"Wait, please listen to me!" The hoarseness is worse, but the desperation makes me feel like I lost my dignity as a queen. I probably have.

"Yanno, I think any person put in an elaborate as fuck seal down here is a danger to public safety." Not entirely true, I mean no harm to them. "Maybe someone else will help you without a reason, not-" "I'm not a danger, not to anyone. I was betrayed!"

Somehow, saying that made me feel worse than ever. That got their attention though

"Betrayed? What do you mean betrayed?" The man among them asks, he is clearly the leader of that party.

Knowing that honesty is the best policy here, I spilt the basics of my history to them. When I finished, all three of them were slightly moved. Not enough to cry, mind you, but enough that I could see them look at each other.

The man spoke suddenly "So, basically, you were the Queen of the Vampire Country, which was destroyed 300 years ago by the way, but was deposed because you could manipulate mana directly, regenerate to your best condition at any time, and could use magic of all elements, which created fear among some nobles. Not just that, you were sealed here since your regeneration gives you potential immortality. Also, you are an atavist, inheriting your ancestors' powers directly. Is that right?"

Not able to answer from the amazing summary of my history, and the fact that my subjects died nearly 300 years ago, I could only nod. The man, whom I shall deign to be God for now, shared a look with his two female companions, and then sighed. The girl to his right seemed intent on warning me of something. I shall deign the two girls to be his Right and Left Angels for now.

God stood in front of me, patted my head, and just when I started to wonder if he would leave, he placed his hand on the seal cube, which rendered me immobile. Then I saw his unbelievable amount of mana for the first time. I knew then that he was special, because he could manipulate it directly. Knowing that most of his power only succeeded in destroying a part of the cube, God called for his Right Angel.

"Kaori, a little help?"

Right Angel, or Kaori now, placed her hand on his back and subsequently passed mana to him. She seemed to be happy to do so as well. Did she not know that sharing mana is an intimate sign of trust between two people?

The seal cube was completely gone with the two of them having reduced mana capacities- reduced for them, still large enough to dwarf most other groups. It comes to my attention that I am naked, and proceed to hide my body in the easiest way- hugging God. I ask them for their names.

"May I know… your names?" I ask them all, yet God answers for them

"I'm Hajime Nagumo. The healer's Kaori Shirasaki, and the swordswoman is Shizuku Yaegashi. What's your name?"

"A name…" Do I want to use my old name? NO, that life is OVER. I need a new name for a new life, one hopefully spent peacefully with God- no, Hajime. Still, thinking a new name up is difficult. Well, then, "…Give me one, please. I don't need a reminder of my old life."

The three of them look at each other again, as if debating the benefits of each name they come up with.

Kaori spoke this time "Your name is now Yue, where we come from, it refers to the moon, and your hair and eyes remind us of it. May your beauty equal that of the moon."

Yue… the moon. Aleytia doesn't have a meaning, and so it is meaningless to cling to it. Yue signifies my past, while accentuating my beauty… I like it!

"Yue… from today, I am Yue! Here's to a long and prosperous relationship, Hajime, Kaori, Shizuku!" I smile while saying this. Hajime is special, and he is the perfect match for me. Even if I have to share Hajime with others, I won't mind it- especially Kaori, she is the main wife for him.

**_BOOM!_**

* * *

_Quite a cliffhanger we have here. Next time- A scorpion decomposes, and Hajime rants!_


	8. Chapter 7: Betrayal & Revelations

_Pre-Chappie Note- I've edited the chapters till now to correct any narrative mistakes I may've made. Pleade read said chapters to get the drift of this chapter_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The blast made all that the quartet were considering inconsequential. With the desperation Yue showed in her voice till now, Hajime, Kaori and Shizuku knew that she hadn't known of this minor problem- relatively speaking, a large scorpion coming down from above would be classified as a disaster, but when you're stuck in a Labyrinth and forced to survive after one of your comrades shot you into Hell{1}, the scorpion decreases in scale.

Regardless, Kaori and Shizuku set about blocking or dodging the damage being dealt, while Hajime focused on damage dealing and protecting Yue, who was still tired, but felt the trust she was being shown so clearly. She had to help, if only to protect her saviours.

While Hajime was thinking of how the scorpion appeared, seeing as he didn't sense it earlier{2}, but did now, Yue came up to him and asked him one thing.

"Can I drink your blood?"

Now, Hajime knew that Yue being a vampire means that blood replenishes their mana. That said, drinking blood in the middle of a battle is just a new concept. Still, better something than nothing- "Go ahead, I trust you" was his reply.

He did feel a bit of guilt that Kaori and Shizuku weren't dating him yet (Nothing was helping him at the moment more than the fact that the two of them were in love with him), but decided that he was explaining things right after the battle. Yue went for the jugular (because where else is blood pulsing?), and started sucking blood.

Just as she got to casting a spell, however, Hajime realized just why it was strange. Pushing her aside, he touched it and said one word laced with mana-

"Transmute!"

That scorpion started disintegrating into scrap metal from the leg and only the core was left after 15 minutes (depleting Hajime's mana levels and shocking the other three in the process). He then proceeded to fall on his butt, while Kaori started healing him and Shizuku collected the core and explored the room.

Now, vampires may be classified as monsters, but really, they aren't- they're just humans with mana-induced quirks that are genetically passed down. So Yue drinking Hajime's blood really isn't a good idea for her. As a result, she fell, writhing and screaming in agony.

Hajime had no intention of giving her monster meat just in case, but it turned unequivocally moot due to his blood. He still watched in morbid (and perverted) fascination as her body changed, grew and adapted to the monster blood.

It wasn't mentioned in the books Hajime had read, but monsters do try to attract their mates using a combination of pheromones and beauty (the more grotesque, the more beautiful for the monsters), so the same changes applied to the four of them- Kaori ironically grew more angel-like with a far more developed bust and butt, Shizuku got her body even more toned than before, which emphasized her bust a bit more, while both were rendered battle ready. Hajime became more feral in appearance, which played with his own boyish charms such that he became quite the looker, and his 'weapon', for lack of better terms, was enhanced to alpha levels. Again, his combat prowess has been proven time and again.

Yue originally had a child-like body, which was good in the past, but with her being the last of the vampires, she was overdue for a change. She ended up gaining around 20 cm in height, and her body grew more voluptuous than Shizuku, (though less so than a certain dragonwoman), and her hair gained streaks of white, rather than the complete change in color that the other three had gained{3}.

When the transformation ended, Hajime and Kaori could only stare in awe (and in Kaori's case, jealousy) at her sleeping form, at least till a very curious Hajime lopped off Yue's pinky finger and popped it into his mouth. He winced in pain and despair at the taste of a girl's flesh (literally, now get your mind outta the gutter) for a second before letting out an audible sigh of relief to see his arm start growing back. Then he saw Kaori glaring at him, looking for answers.

"Hold up, Kaori! I've got a good reason for this… You see, Yue was out of mana from that seal formation that she was under, so she asked me for some blood when we were fighting the scorpion golem! Now, she isn't a monster obviously, so my blood forced a similar evolution to when we first ate monster meat. Continuing in my conjecture, I wondered if I was also capable of gaining her Auto Regenerate skill… By the sight of my left arm, though, that turned out to be the right idea... You're scaring me, Kaori!"

Kaori understood what he was saying, but was incensed that he would take such a risk without consultation. She was mollified by Hajime cutting his pinky off and offering it to her. She did nibble on it like it was delicious though, scaring Hajime inwardly.

Shizuku chose that moment to appear and stop to stare in horror at her best friend nibbling on a human's finger… Only to stare in shock at Hajime's regenerated left limb. Figuring out what was going on, she frowned for a second before staring in awe and horror at the beautiful woman lying where Yue had been, when she had left them alone. Again, figuring it out {4}, she just gaped for a second and then proceeded to tell Hajime what she had found in the room. She received Hajime's thumb as a reward.

Pulling out the crystal orb she had found in the room behind the seal cube, she almost activated it, but Hajime decided that they were waiting for Yue to wake up.

It was a while before she woke up so they decided to talk about their lives as children…

Kaori was a shy character in elementary school, it would seem, only breaking out of that shell in middle school after she first saw Hajime. Her father's overprotective nature didn't help either, alienating her from boys other than Kouki and Ryūtaro. Since then, she would start gaining more popularity than before, much to Shizuku's amusement.

Not that she had a right to be amused… She was a great actor from her words, which led to her gaining popularity as the Ice Queen of her school, only letting up around Kaori when they were alone together, due to her upbringing as the heir to the Yaegashi Dojo of Swordsmanship… though she was starting to suspect something about that due to her second job of Assassin.

Hajime was the most surprising- he never hid his love for the otaku culture, which wasn't surprising in the least, considering his parentage- Koori was surprised to hear that her favourite video game was developed by the company Hajime's father owned, while Shizuku was salivating at the possibility of meeting the shoujo mangaka that she was a great fan of as soon as she got out of Tortus.

Fortunately, Yue woke up at that moment, or Shizuku may have had Kaori devour him with her (Now, get your mind in the gutter). The trio explained that they found a crystal orb and decided that she deserved to hear what the creator of said orb had to say. Yue had no objections whatsoever. {5}

They activated it and proceeded to listen, mouths growing open in astonishment as they heard Yue's uncle, as he identified himself, explain why he had sealed her in such a deep place… Needless to say, they were shocked.

Apparently, the man realized that the god known as Ehit was not your run-of-the-mill non interfering superpower- Nooooo! He was a manipulative and insane superpower who was planning to take his niece's body for his own… The three otherworlders had questions that didn't connect to the info being given at the moment. This really stuck in their craw. Seal her to protect her, till she finds someone who is ready to destroy the world to save her, and then entrust her to said saviour so that she is protected.

Yue herself was crying in horror that her most respected person went to such lengths to protect her. She knew that Hajime was powerful, but what would he do against a God? The orb letter ended with a tearful apology and farewell.

Hajime had a headache coming on- the bastard that summoned them was already reprehensible in all senses of the word, but this was pushing it. Scratch that, this broke it.

"DAMN IT ALL! First Amanogawa, then Hiyama, then this bull-fucking-shit! Don't I deserve a FUCKING break?!"

Kaori had to ask the one question that no one asks a raging man in a crisis.

"What happened, Hajime-kun?"

That opened the dam… No matter just how much of a good rep you build up, it crashed down with one action. With Kouki, he's done worse. Hajime has the sense not to blame the ones who aren't to blame anyway, so he did reassure them of that.

"None of the bullshit called my highschool life is your fault, either of you! That much is clear! But all of this started with you two approaching me at the start of first year. You didn't know this, but Kouki Amanogawa is a bit of a control freak behind that mask of naïve justice-mongering. He absolutely hated the fact that you two approached me and tried to get close to me, especially in front of him! That evening, he and Sakagami cornered me and threatened me to stay away from you two, especially Kaori! That got my blood boiling, so I told him that it's your wish, not mine, though I don't really mind it. Sakagami wasn't into Amanogawa's actions at all, so he's actually ok in my books, but He was forced to punch me, so no harm no foul!"

Catching his breath, Hajime barely noted that Kaori and Shizuku both had shocked expressions, but he dismissed it.

"Then that bitch Daisuke Hiyama and his stooges come into the picture, with their acts of extortion and assault… They're lucky that my parents don't know that most of my bruises come from them- I haven't told them because that would definitely have the three of them expelled, which is bad for them, and myself feared. I usually try to keep it from them, though I do tell them that I'm bullied- you don't hide that from people you trust or love- you two would've blown up at the trio, which just escalates the problem most of the time. ANYWAY, that continues till we're summoned here! And then stuff starts to escalate beyond normal standards!

"You know that I'm sometimes used for target practise. What you don't know is that one of the times you were healing me, I saw the HERO passing Hiyama some money and smiling sadistically at me! That tore it- I decided to tell dad everything when I got back but now I find this sack of Bull Shit flung at me! I'm lucky to even be sane at this stage! I think I'm entitled to some form of anger!" {6}

And that's when you could see the effect that the actions he described had on the three girls present. Yue just wanted to know what was going on. Kaori was just horrified at the way her love was treated, and decided that if she saw one Kouki Amanogawa again, the new Kaori would show him what a bitch-slap is. Any form of affection she felt for the Hero died at that moment.

Shizuku scared Hajime at this point. Her expression promised pain to her target. Over the time in the Pits, she had gotten closer to him and learned more about him as a person, which intensified her feelings for him. She never expected Kouki- no, Amanogawa - to be the scum of society. When she gets back, he is going to be excommed from her family Dojo for despicable conduct, but till then, maybe his balls can be intimate with her new blade, with acid for added effect. Ryūtarō was getting a bitchslap from her, and maybe Hiyama gets the acid infused blade to balls approach as well. Makes for a good Cause of Death in her opinion…

Hajime's headache was with the fact that he would have to kill Ehit the bastard to return home.

Meanwhile, during training, the three aforementioned people felt shivers down their spines- Ryūtarō less than the two main culprits, but still.

* * *

_{1}- You know, the threat of the scorpion was exaggerated in both canon and Void's fanfic- I'm downplaying it here._

_{2}- Hajime can't've been serious about survival if he didn't use ANY sensory skill in caution- I would do that, it's common sense._

_{3}- This is just me not liking Yue's loli disposition. I may not be a pedo, but canon Yue physically doesn't really radiate 'Come hither' to me, she radiates 'FBI! OPEN UP!' ._

_{4}- I forgot, Shizuku does have the perfect mix for a Yandere and Dandere rolled in one... I will limit it to her asking Hajime rather than the honestly disturbing ideas of stereotypical Yanderes. This also makes her deductive abilities in his regard close to infinity_

_{5}- Void again made a mistake- Hajime is blunt. Even to Yue at times. Hee doesn't feel an immediate attractin to her, tht's just cheesy. It'll develop through the course of the Labyrinth. _

_{6}- Kouki didn't really like or dislike Hajiime since the beginning. Also, Hiyama seems to be a bit too eager to date Kaori, almost like Kouki wouldn't be a problem... that's why I'm alluding to a co-op between the two. Also, it does seem too bad to target someone due to jealousy- Hiyama wouldn't want to make Kaori hate him, unless Kouki thinks he is deserving for some reason. No, they work together here... I got plans for that aspect as well._

_Now, I reallly appreciate the 108 followers of teh story at this point for thinking that this story is good! Thanks you all! Please keep reading and criticizing it in the future as well!_

_Special appreciation goes to_

_dragon-cloud16_

_Raidentensho _

_Kleave guy_

_These three really gave me ideas to incorporate in the future!_

_Next Time- A teacher goes out, and Hajime bonds with his three companions _


	9. Chapter 8: Ready, Steady, Bond!

Hajime was done with his rant, but as mentioned earlier, he was pretty much pissing in fear at the expressions on his two constant companions till now.

(You know it… don't bother trying to tell me to describe their expressions again)

Yue was confused for multiple reasons- why she was taller, why her hair gained platinum streaks, and other questions flooded her mind. The biggest question was why Hajime was pissed at his comrades… schools existed, Yue didn't experience them. Which is why a detailed explanation of their origins was necessary… for her at least.

Hajime felt a tug on his sleeve, and when he looked at it, he saw the question mark that was so dense, it almost was physically present… and floating on top of Yue's head. He sighed, having calmed down somewhat, and patted her head with what looked like a reassuring smile. It worked like a charm, since she closed her eyes and smiled contently, but it just made the Angelic Duo quite jealous.

Throwing the jealousy away, Kaori was wondering how he remained kind, and managed to act as if nothing had happened through all the happenings of his life. So she asked "Hajime-kun, why did you not tell a teacher? It would've been as easy as telling them to end it, right?"

"Since Amanogawa was cowardly enough to do this outside school grounds, I couldn't tell them… besides, if I reported Hiyama, Amanogawa would defend them, and with my word against theirs, I'm pretty sure my odds were low. Besides, I wasn't cowardly enough to let others handle my problems- if Dad ever found out why I was being bullied, he would've made a tweet with their faces and names, asking his clientele not to sell to people lacking humanity, and Mom would've made a bullies arc in one of her stories, deliberately naming them… ruining their reputation and hers in the process.

"Before you ask, yes, they would, without even thinking twice about it. I never accuse them of magnanimity… especially in their quest to spread happiness to the world- why else would they choose such outlandish professions? If someone makes others unhappy, they don't hold back in their rage- even more so if it were me. It's also why I prefer peace over violence on Earth- if I release my or Mom and Dad's rage on the world, World War 3 wouldn't be just a pipe dream, it would be an absolute reality" chuckled a peaceful Hajime, showing his true personality for the first time since the Fall.

Kaori also smiled a peaceful smile, realizing just how Hajime could be so kind, even to his enemies- at the time at least. Shizuku felt more at peace with her decision to follow Kaori's lead when they talked. Never would she have realized that Hajime was kind because of his parents, especially when his father manages a company producing violent games. Only Kaori would be able to notice his charm when no one else could- she was always the strange one of the two.

Noticing her confused state, Hajime started explaining their current situation to Yue. This was after the quartet got out of the room, of course. Hajime noticed that their supply of Ambrosia was starting to run low a few floors earlier, despite Hajime refilling the Stone with mana at relatively fixed intervals, meaning the Ambrosia had to be used less liberally.

Over the next two floors, Hajime, Kaori and Shizuku filled Yue in on each of their past lives, while also informing her of why they were each in this shithole. At the end of it, Yue was starting to weep like a baby- she was still elegant as a queen, but that's beside the point.

"I c-can't believe- *hic*- it. Ka-kaori and Shizu-ku- *hic* - and esp-pecially Hajime! All three of you led hard lives, and still feel kind enough to save me… Yet here I am, not even feeling an ounce of- *hic* - happiness at my situation…" she lamented, knowing that she should've been happy to have companions at all.

It was then that the seriousness of the situation dawned on all of them- they were all betrayed by those they've considered close to them, and ended up falling into the Pits of Hell or the True Labyrinth- Yue by her country minus her uncle, Kaori and Shizuku by their best friends, and Hajime by almost everyone in his life (the exceptions are the three present girls, Kousuke Endou, and his parents). A normal person would want death at this point. They want to return to their lives and change it for the better.

Hajime at the least was no longer the pushover that he was in the past. He learnt that life was unfair, and that you had to fight for what you want. Kaori lost the illusion that everyone was as good as they appeared to be, she learned to look beneath the surface and read between the lines. Shizuku learnt that not all that glitters was gold, and that what doesn't glitter can glitter after it's growth was complete {1}. Yue learnt that everything happened for a reason, and that there is always hope at the end of the tunnel.

It was then that the bonds connecting these four were complete. It took a person stating her unhappiness to show the truth. Hajime also felt a bit of love for Yue, though he felt even more love for the other two and knew that he would be in trouble if he told them so now.

Kaori and Shizuku began falling for Yue and each other, and felt their love for Hajime reach the pinnacle, though the same fear penetrated their hearts that Hajime would hate them, ironically.

Yue had developed a slight Damsel-in-Distress syndrome, which made her slightly inclined toward falling for the trio, but that had dissipated as their life story was explained… turning into a true love along the way. At that point, she felt warm and cozy at heart.

* * *

Aiko Hatayama was a woman born into a family of farmers. As such, she was fully inclined to be helping people in their livelihood, not war. In order to help as many people as possible, she had chosen to be a teacher, as her role model had been.

When she heard about Hajime, Kaori and Shizuku falling in the Labyrinth, she felt guilt at not being able to help her students, and dread at what she was going to tell their parents when they returned.

To that end, she decided that she wasn't going to stand back and watch as _her _students plunged forward on towards their death anymore. She walked straight up to the Church, called out the Pope, and flat out declined to help the Church in their objectives unless they allowed those who didn't wish to fight to stay behind. As her job was an important non-combative job, as Farmer (ironically), she was important for the survival of the people of Tortus.

Needless to say, she was shackled to the church, in exchange for the freedom of her students. And her first assignment had just come-She had to travel to a small village called Ur, where she had to revive the agricultural land.

She entered the class' dining room, where her closest students now- Yūka Sonobe and her party- were present. This group was in the group that witnessed the three fall, and decided that they didn't want a part in this war, instead choosing to protect their most precious (and only present) teacher.

" Everyone! I've got an assignment! I'll be leaving for Ur in a few days!" Aiko exuberantly shouted- even when in desperately hopeless situations (lessnotgettoohasty), Aiko was delighted to help people in trouble.{2}

Yūka took her new job seriously, seeing as she was trying to uphold the memory of Hajime, who had saved the entire class in exchange for his own, and two of their top frontline party members fell in straight after, Kaori and Shizuku. Thus, she wasn't amused at the exclusion of her party.

"Aiko-chan, you aren't planning on making us stay back, are you?" Yūka said, eyes closed, a wide smile on her face, and light brown hair slightly floating. She was considered slightly beautiful, but mostly cute due to her cheery personality. When she got angry though, she could intimidate a bear with her smiles.{3}

Aiko, with her child-like personality, didn't stand a chance, making Nana Miyazaki, her best friend, sweatdrop. Inwardly, Nana asked herself '_Who's the teacher here?_'

Aiko was trembling now, as she stuttered "N-n-n-no, Y-y-yuka-s-sa-n-n, o-of cou-course n-n-ot!"

The oppressiveness left Yuka as she just nodded and said "Good, now, who else is ready for their first escort mission?" as if nothing had happened.

Most of her group joined in- the group, consisting of Atsushi Tamai, Noboru Aikawa, Akito Nimura, Yuka Sonobe, Nana Miyazaki, Taeko Sugawara and a slightly creepy male called Yukitoshi Shimizu, were committed to protecting Aiko, though the creep was being quite creepy, so they decided to keep him at arm's length just in case.

Some Paladins had been dispatched by the Holy (lol) Church, who were suspiciously handsome… clearly meant to seduce her into giving her loyalty to the Church, but they needn't have worried- They fell for her instead, due to her naturally cute disposition… Then again, most of her students want to cross the border between student and teacher in the depths of their minds… Hajime being a rare exception even before the Fall- he could separate admiration and love.

* * *

_1- My adaptation to the old adage. The first part is the same (All that glitters is not gold), and the second part actually refers to the process of creating diamonds- To absolutely nobody's surprise, a diamond is created from carbon- the coal brickettes usually used in grilling (Not that I would know anything). The process to turn lump coal into diamond, however, is similar to Hajime's change- He had to go though extreme conditions in order to become the ass-kicker that he is, similar to the extreme amounts of pressure and heat to change the molecular composition of carbon to fit diamond._

_2- Here, I tried to overshow the natural disposition shown by Aiko. I also showed something that isn't normally shown in Arifureta (even canon)- her willpower. If Aiko Hatayama were to go through the same metamorphosis that Hajime goes through, she would come out as even stronger than him... Not that we shall ever find out_

_3- I like Yuka. In the small amount of time she is featured, she shows a rare amount of character- for Arifureta- and thus makes it a shame that the main story didn't end up placing her into his harem especially since the after story shows the other girls being wary of her. Therefore, she is going to be an addition to the harem. I'll place a poll up to see if she will replace Aiko, or if both join in... the deadline is the upload of the next chapter.__UPDATE: I took down the poll... Google Form links don't work apparently, and the in-site polls are just too slow to show up... Just answer in the reviews_


	10. Chapter 9: End of Labyrinthal Battles

**Chapter 9**

Time had passed. Hajime, Kaori, Shizuku and Yue had grown closer and closer with each boss fight they had undergone and each moment of peace used to get to really know each other. With Yue's metamorphosis, she gained an appreciation for monster meat, though she still liked drinking Hajime's blood. The difference being that Kaori's and Shizuku's blood became almost as attractive as his merant that she also sucked their blood a lot.

They also gained an improvement in magical casting, Yue and Kaori developed a mini-rivalry over their magical prowess. Said vampire atavist also taught Hajime how to use magic with visualization and without chants. Hajime taught his old(er) companions how to in turn. This usually was how they learnt combat earlier in the past- Shizuku would teach Hajime how to use a sword, and Hajime would teach Kaori what a shield can do to enemies in the right situation. Kaori, in the meanwhile, taught Hajime the advanced spells that he couldn't use earlier.

Yue, on the other hand had to be taught how to survive using physical combat- Her magical prowess meant that her tutors wouldn't teach her much in physical warfare. For a princess, that meant almost certain death- since her combat prowess was cut in half. As practical as Hajime has become due to the Pits, he wouldn't let that stand. Therefore, he taught her how to fight physically. He may have told her that it would help when she had to face shameless perverts once they got out, something that motivated her ass into gear.

At the 75th Floor, Yue was possessed by a plant monster due to some problems between vampires and humans (which is why vampires drink blood). Hajime solved the problem by shooting the Dryad (as they called it), but for some reason decided to collect and keep the spores.

As they grew, their stats also increased. Hajime was currently a level 79, and his stats matched that, each of them being at least 8000. His focus was on Strength and Agility, which gave him enough firepower to overwhelm his enemies at 9500 each, and his lowest stats were Magical Defence and Defence- considering his aggressive style of combat, not too much of a problem.

Shizuku, his second-in-command, was just behind him, with 9500 sunk into Agility and Defence each. Her weakest was Magic and Endurance at barely 8000 each, but that didn't matter much.

Kaori, the tank and his public relations manager (lol), excelled in Defence and Magical Defence, weak in Agility and Magic, surprisingly. That was probably because she was the tank of the group. She didn't hit 9000 on any of her skills, but that makes her more balanced anyway.

Yue didn't know her numbers, but Hajime roughly estimated her abilities based on her old best and current best. He decided that she had stats close to 5000 on magic and magic defence and 450 on the others because of said combat inefficiency. Of course, over time, she improved to the point where she hit a balance, similar to Kaori, but about 1000 points lower.

All of them were capable of hand-to-hand, weapon-based and gun-based combat. That was a basic requirement for the group, since they knew that they needed more than the four to get home and get the others home as well. Yue knew about their past, and ironically solved their trust issues with the others- simply by saying that they didn't necessarily need to help them all the time, just in times of extreme need. Perhaps instilling a need to get stronger to gain comrades, but the few they could trust as the core of the group.

Anyway, they had reached the end of the 100th floor of the labyrinth, where the boss was lying in wait. They had no delusions of an easy win, so they prepared to fight for their lives.

When they entered the Boss room (which looked opulent, a white marble room with multiple pillars in the sides and golden highlights), they were wary. Then a white dragon with 5 heads showed up from out of nowhere.

Naturally combat begins. Shizuku's slashes and Hajkime's gun-kata, as he called it, didn't deal any damage. Yue's magic proved ineffective, while Kaori's Barrier Magic was barely holding the now-named Hydra back.

Things continued in this vein for some time. They were growing tired, and cutting off the head, while possible, proved ineffective. Hajime then remembered the legends regarding the Hydra from Earth.

Though that did bring its own problems.

"Yue! I need redirection! Work with Kaori and Shizuku to bring the heads together in one line, NOW!"

Yue was concerned, but she knew better than to argue- when Hajime innovated a new combat move, he tested it immediately.

Yue relayed the order to the best friends,and they worked together to do their best at what he said.

Meanwhile, Hajime was focusing on his Jobs. As he did so, he realized something- he never reached the true potential of his new powers. Slowly, he smiled a manic grin, and waited while charging two different elemental magic of his own creation.

BY the time they were done, he was fully charged up. He leapt above the centre head, and then called out his two spells with half of each part of mana-

"Lightning Slash! Flame Slash!"

While both manifested elemental blades slashed towards the 3 heads on each side, he initiated a dropkick on the centre head, and called out a new spell with the remaining charge of mana-

"LIGHTNING FLAME DECAPITATION"

All three attacks landed at once, decapitating heads on either side. The central head, however,was barely bleeding by that attack. Hajime jumped back, and recovered from the mana drain, while Yue , Kaori and Shizuku landed a devastating attack on the last head. Due to the nature of lightning and fire, he cauterized the stumps on the other six heads, stopping the regeneration skill that it possessed.

He still didn't lose heart though. In fact, he actually looked positively gleeful. Yue, who had just launched a Black Hole to absorb the flame attack of the Hydra, just stared at him in disbelief.

"Kaori, Bind it! Shizuku, use Shadow Dance on the point I just attacked! Yue, coat the sword in fertilizer! NOW!"

The trust they had in him was the only reason they followed his orders immediately. Yue coated the blade in fertilizer while Kaori used her Chain Bind on it. Shizuku executed a Shadow Dance, successfully inserting the fertilizer into the bloodstream of the beast.

Almost immediately, flowers burst out of the Hydra's head, surprising everyone bar Hajime. Said unsurprised person immediately gestured with his hands , pushing both palms forward. Immediately, the Hydra severed its own head, also leaving its meat behind.

What was left was a grinning Hajime, a confused Yue, and two shell-shocked demonized humans.

After a 5-minute rest, Hajime recovered his mana, Yue sat down to recover from the exertion, Kaori managed to reboot her brain and did the same to Shizuku's brain

The two had become lesbian lovers around the 62nd floor, due to realizing already that Hajime was going to officially start dating them at the end of the True Labyrinth. (Now, imagine a kiss between them, and you now know how Kaori rebooted Shizuku's brain) At the same time, they decided to attack the unsuspecting boy in the next relaxation spot after they finished.

* * *

_Well, I think this is a good piece of work, if I do say so myself. Leave a comment in the reviews about my combat narrating skills, pls. Like I said, I am planning on putting up an original fiction. _

_To clarify one point, Hajime did burn the plant monster down, as __in canon. What he didn't do in canon, was search for the spore sacs that it possessed. That would allow him to easily tune said spores to his mana, after which he just needs to plant them in an enemy._

_How did he create his own original spells? That is going to be explained in the next chapter. _

_That's it then. I decided to keep to a chapter a month on random selections of which fic to update, so toodles till then_


End file.
